


Unscheduled

by Mazikeen



Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Anal Sex, Bállins, First Time, Immediate E with a soft T ending, M/M, Oral Sex, Threesome - M/M/M, Timewise this is vague.. just sometime well before Finn's 1st WM (which changed things)., this is Finn/Seth focused. Zack is an unconventionally hands-on matchmaker.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-05
Updated: 2019-01-26
Packaged: 2019-02-10 18:38:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12917847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mazikeen/pseuds/Mazikeen
Summary: Seth is late and Finn stopped checking his phone.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> These are real people and I don't know the logistics of their life, let alone their internal worlds, so much poetic license is taken. 
> 
> This isn't RPF despite it seeming that way at first. When it was a one-shot I was trying to be clever and deal with the various parts of themselves internally so I made a distinction between their real names and their wrestling names, but as this fic expanded and became more intimate it felt too invasive so I just dropped that element and used only their wrestling names. Sure it's a bit clumsy but let's just roll with it.

_Colby to Fergal: 7:20pm:_  
That thing got pushed back an hour. Don’t bother waiting, I’ll get to the hotel another way  
_Read_

 _Fergal to Colby: 7:33pm:_  
Np  
_Read_

 _Colby to Fergal: 8:53pm:_  
I’m still fucking here  
_Read_

 _Colby to Fergal: 10:02pm:_  
Might not be worth it at this point. Maybe I’ll just shack up with the boys in their room across town instead  
_Read_

 _Fergal to Colby: 10:03pm:_  
I'll fend for myself. Send my love  
_Read_

 _Colby to Fergal: 10:15pm:_  
Change of plans. See you when I get there  
_Delivered_

 _Colby to Fergal: 11:58pm:_  
You still up? I’m downsta

Seth looked up from his phone. Shit. Are there still fans waiting in the lobby? This late? Oh _fuck_ they sound like they’ve been drinking in the hotel bar. _Go go go._ He quickly hoisted up his bags and ducked into the stairwell rather than risk waiting for the elevator. His luggage was awkward on the steps so at the second floor he took the elevator the rest of the way.

He was glad he finally made it to the hotel-- this’ll be a more chill place to sleep. He got along with Fergal well and he made for a considerate roommate and travel companion.

He swiped the keycard and opened the door. The room was dark, as expected, but the bathroom door was open and the light was on. He felt the humidity in the air; Ferg must be getting out of the shower. He threw his bags down on the luggage rack near the door but as he took a step down the short corridor to the room he heard an odd noise. He glanced quickly through the bathroom doorway, intending to greet Fergal but instead. _What._ His head snapped forward.

“Oh _shit!_ Shit shit shit!” he heard a voice say.

 _What had he just seen._ He _knew_ exactly what he’d just seen but his mind wasn’t processing it. Fergal had been draped over the counter, one leg up on the edge of the bathtub and a man was standing behind, hands holding his hips, thrusting. He had just walked in on Fergal getting _fucked._

In a half-panic he paced into the room. His mind was racing-- he was gay? _Why didn’t he know this?_ he wondered, as his mind quickly shuffled through his memories of past conversations... he was always reluctant to get personal and it was always gender-neutral. And then online... wait. He stopped in his tracks. The man in the bathroom-- he knew precisely who that was.

“Seth.” He heard Finn call his name. A slight rasp in his throat.

 _Seth? Finn?_ Okay so we’re both going with _fiction,_ then.

He spun around. Time seemed to slow down as he took in the scene. He went into that state he sometimes entered when he was in front of a crowd: hyper-aware yet on partial-autopilot. A very specialized fight-or-flight. You read the other person’s cues, do what they want, but check the safety. A dance of risk-assessing “yes-and” where every second feels like ten.

He saw the man in the light of the bathroom door. Zack Sabre Jr. Didn’t know him, hadn’t met him. He was wrapping a towel around his waist, deliberately not looking at him. He seemed ...calm. Not running out in an embarrassed rush. Zack moved out of the corridor and stood against the bed. It was a clear signal: the path to the door was unobstructed. He saw Zack’s head raise and then nod to Finn.

Finn strode with purpose past the beds and towards the back of the room where he stood, stopping a foot in front of him. He had grabbed a towel but merely held it against his crotch, barely covering himself. He saw Finn in tiny trunks and in compromising situations so frequently that he was taken aback by how naked he looked right now. He _knew_ his body and had seen and touched it without awkwardness but here in this situation he didn’t know where to put his eyes. He felt that he shouldn’t be shocked at seeing him nearly naked but seeing those lines from his hipbones that his trunks usually obscured, his skin damp, his chest visibly rising and falling... this was different. He tried looking him in the face. No, that was worse. Back to staring directly at his chest. Finn stood blocking his way, chin slightly raised in defiance.

“Look,” Seth started, “I'm sure that wasn’t what it looked like--”

Finn cut him off. “This is exactly what it looks like.”

 _Present tense._ Ongoing.

“I... okay... I’ll just...” he stammered, moved forward slightly, intending to leave. At the same time Finn moved slightly closer.

“Or.”

Or? _...Or?_ He held his breath. That slow-motion dance. Assess risk: he trusted Finn, implicitly; Finn and Zack clearly trusted each other; Zack had signaled that he could be trusted. The slowest of slow motion.

“You could fuck me.”

He heard a voice whisper _yes_ and realized it’d come from him.

Finn dropped his towel.


	2. Chapter 2

Seth stood and stared. His practiced reaction was to look away when a man was exposed like this but he caught himself; Finn was inviting him to stare. He let the moment stretch out. He didn’t often let himself contemplate how beautiful Finn was. He was perfect. Which was exactly why he didn’t ever allow himself dwell on that thought. And here, flushed from exertion and the hot air, he was not merely unclothed but _naked_ : exposed in every way. Seth had expected him to be anxious at having been found in such a compromising position but instead he felt as if he’d walked into his lair. 

He realized he’d been holding his breath. Finally he looked Finn in the eyes. 

Finn went up on his toes, leaning in as if to kiss him, but stopped just before making contact. Seth understood: this was up to him. A pact that had to be sealed. He meant to kiss him... but at the last second, hesitated. This was too weird. His lips ghosted gently over Finn’s mouth. It wasn’t a kiss. It felt like something else entirely. Something illicit. He felt a wave of chills roll down his arms. He leaned his head down further and brushed their cheeks together, feeling the unfamiliar prickly sensation of his beard scratching against another. He was in uncharted waters.

He pulled back and watched a slow mischievous grin spread across Finn’s face. It was a look that said _you botched; my turn now_. Seth narrowed his eyes at him in mock challenge. _Okay, it’s on, then._ Now he was back in familiar territory. 

Finn suddenly stepped back and plucked at his t-shirt with a snap. “You gonna wear that all night, then?” 

He suddenly felt like the odd man out. Finn was standing there completely nude, and Zack in just a towel, and yet somehow _he_ was the one who felt awkward. 

“I guess not.” 

He walked to the bathroom and it hit him: this was the crossroads. His bags were right there by the door. He could continue straight and leave the room or turn left into the bathroom. _’Continue straight,’ god that is corny._ He smiled quietly to himself knowing Finn would probably appreciate the terrible pun. He turned left.

 

It had been a long day and a quick shower was tempting but he didn’t want to keep them waiting. Besides, his hair would turn into a frizzy mess. Instead he left all of this clothes in a haphazard pile on the floor and grabbed a washcloth. There was a travel-sized bottle of something on the counter that smelled like peppermint so gave himself a quick once over. He’d feel silly just walking back out naked so he wrapped a towel around his waist the way that Zack had done. He felt heady with the strangeness of all this. Everything about this was happening differently. Not the usual pattern. Not with anything like “usual" people. Not just one man but two, and his _friend_ at that. And yet for all of that he felt as if he was in a familiar orbit. Him and Finn. Always him and Finn. It felt like being in another country but inexplicably knowing exactly where he was. He felt a nervous excited energy in his stomach.

 _Get a grip, man._ He splashed water on his face, wiped condensation from the mirror and stared at himself. _What am I doing._

_It’s okay._

_It is._

_Why am I doing this._

_You know why._ The answer seemed to come from somewhere in the back of his skull. A wordless idea rising up from the dark depths of his brain. Something he usually ignored but now, here, rang his skull like a bell.

 _So why shouldn’t I do this._

He stared at himself in the mirror. No answer came. 

He felt chills on his arms again, despite the humidity.

He closed his eyes and dried his face. Taking careful risks had gotten him everywhere in life. And he’d regret _not_ taking advantage of such an opportunity. The realization felt like a lightning strike. This was the chance to do what only happened in his dreams; the type of dream that he tried not to dwell on and figured that he could live the rest of his life ignoring, but here it was on a silver platter. 

He looked at the doorknob and everything snapped into focus. Seth walked back out into the room the exact same way he did week in and week out, in front of a very different sort of audience. The time for hesitation was over.


	3. Chapter 3

Seth walked out and for the second time that night, saw something that he never could have predicted. Again his instinct was to look away but caught himself.

Zack was standing with his knees bent low, knees pressed up against the side of the bed, legs on either side of Finn, making himself low enough to line up their cocks against each other. He had his long hand wrapped around them both, stroking them both at once. Finn looked rapturous. When they realized they had an audience Zack stopped his hand and held them still. Finn arched his back at a sharp dramatic angle, jutting his ass out, and then undulated to press himself back up into Zack’s hand. Zack leaned in they kissed deeply. Before he had a chance to wonder if they’d forgotten that he was still standing there watching, Finn pulled back, biting Zack’s lower lip playfully.

Finn grabbed Zack’s head. “You sure?” he asked him in a low intimate voice. “I don’t want to leave you like this.”

“Mm-hm, I wanna see this.”

“You would.”

“’Course I would.”

Finn turned towards him and he realized that he had no idea what was going to happen next. No idea what he _should do._ He wasn’t used to the feeling. Finn stalked over and again, stopped just before Seth. His move. He remembered precisely what this was all heading towards and realized that he wasn’t... well, _ready_ for this at all. Should he be? What is normal here? He allowed himself to look at Finn, all of Finn. He was fully erect this time, and the awful feeling of doubt, of comparison, flickered through his head but he quashed it immediately. _No._ And, _he asked you here._ But yet, if this were a girl he’d know what to do, what to ask for next. He can’t just ask his _friend_ to get down and... well. _Fuck._

He realized they were standing as close as possible without touching, just staring at each other. It was a faceoff to see who’d lay hands on the other first, and Seth realized he was at a loss as to how to proceed.

“I--”

“Mmm-hmm.”

“Wh...” he trailed off.

Finn continued to stare up at him.

_Do something._

Seth reached up and put one finger in the middle of Finn’s chest as if he were going to poke at him and push him away, but instead let his fingertip rest there a moment, and then trailed it down his chest, across the ripples of his abs, and then, trying not to hesitate, to the head of his cock and down his length, before dropping his arm. He had never done _that_ before.

Finn had an approving glint in his eye. “Ya know, I’ve always wanted to--”

 _"Always wanted to"_ echoed a moment in Seth’s head-- and then promptly stopped as Finn suddenly leaned his head down and ran the tip of his nose lightly across Seth’s chest hair, moving in little circles, brushing his nose and cheek across the center of his chest, moving down his stomach, stopping at his belly button, before he reached the towel around his waist.

_Fuck._

He remembered about Zack and looked for him, seeing him across the room opening a suitcase.

He needed, wanted, more _contact._ One way or another. He can’t ask--. Watching that little show between the two of them... that was eye-opening... he would have enjoyed seeing more; he’d never considered that sort of thing before... but just watching them wasn’t going to be enough-- he realized that if it’d been two women in the room with him making out like that it probably would have been-- this is all amazing... _god, Finn, he really is amazing... but--_ he’s not ready to just-- “I need, because... I’m not gay, so--” he blurted out and instantly felt mortified.

A flicker of concern went through Finn’s eyes as he cocked his head slightly.

“It’s okay mate, no one’s perfect!” Zack called out.

It was if a spell was broken. Finn’s face creased and he started giggling. He was the familiar giggly Fergal again.

Seth grabbed Finn’s waist with both hands to let him know that he wasn’t about to bolt on him, and Finn collapsed his weight slightly into him as he laughed.

Seth let out a laugh of relief. “That came out all wrong--”

Finn... Fergal... his amazing and perfect friend who had never quite seemed as amazing and perfect as he did in this moment, leaned fully into him. He felt the scratch of his facial hair and felt the smile against his chest, and then realized that his cock was also pressed against him. He held him firmly in place, determined not to be intimidated by the unfamiliar sensation.

“I get it,” he laughed. He lifted his chin looking straight up at him. _One second he’s a predatory animal and the next he’s being cutesy._ Seth felt a fingertip slowly running just underneath the towel against his lower back. Finn raised up to loudly whisper, “Want it from him or me?” _And right back again._

“Fuck. I--” _Fuck._

“I have an idea,” Zack held a small black strip aloft and waved it playfully. "Just being helpful,” he said in an exaggerated innocent tone. Seth realized it was one of Finn’s armbands he wore in the ring. “Blindfold. Keep it a surprise.”

“Are you fucking kidding me.” Zack tried to put it around Seth’s head. Of course it was entirely too small. “C’mon his arms aren’t _that_ big, man,” he complained as Finn giggled again. The far corners of velcro strip barely met and mostly it was just sticking to his hair. _These little shits,_ he thought fondly, but he played along and held it up to his own eyes to keep it from falling. He realized that Finn was no longer pressed against him. A gentle tug at the towel around his waist and just like that, he was standing naked in a room with two men with his eyes covered.

He felt the very tip of a tongue move from the head of his cock along his length and suddenly his entire attention laser-focused on the sensation. And then once again, but more contact this time. He wondered who it was... the image of his friend, his beautiful friend, doing this was too intense of an image to conjure. The thought of it being Zack was easier somehow. _Someone_ suddenly took him entirely in their... _his_ though, god it was definitely a _‘his’_... mouth and as they moved he was so awash in sensation that he ceased to care.

He felt a bit grateful for this stupid makeshift blindfold since it gave him a place to put his hands. He widened his stance to try to maintain his balance. He felt a hand grab his hip... and then a different hand grab his other. Seth tried to sort out who was who, but then the mouth... _his_ mouth, whoever he was... swirled his tongue and he was at his mercy.

He felt a hand move up between his legs. He tensed, but one of the hands squeezed his hip a bit as if to reassure him. Fingertips ghosted gently along his balls and then moved slowly along the tender skin behind them. And then suddenly there was a second mouth, biting and sucking hard at the skin below his hip.

“Gnnngh!” Both mouths suddenly fell away. Fucking hell, that was intense. _Pace yourself._

He tipped his head back to gather himself, letting the cloth band fall away. When he opened his eyes they were both getting up and he couldn’t guess who had been doing what.

“Oh my god. You two.”

“Mmm. You ready?” Finn licked his lips, then pressed himself against him again, putting his arms around him in an embrace and then moving them down to grab his ass with both hands.

 _Yes._ Did he even say that out loud? It didn’t matter.

Zack pulled the blankets off the bed in one dramatic sweeping gesture. “Lucky man, you’re about to meet the best powerbottom in the WWE.”

Finn laughed, “Am not!”

“Yeah? Then introduce me.”

Finn pushed him playfully and they tumbled onto the bed. Finn hooked his leg around his back and then Zack wrapped his long arm under Finn’s raised leg and swung him around, dropping him on his back. They kissed for a moment then Zack pressed their noses together affectionately and untangled himself from Finn. “I’ll get it,” as he headed towards the bathroom.

Finn held his arm out, beckoning to Seth. “C’mere.” 

Seth knelt on the bed. _You are allowed to do this,_ he reminded himself. He fell into Finn’s arms. Chest to chest with arms around each other, it was utterly familiar yet fundamentally different this time. He buried his face in the crook of Finn’s neck and pressed his mouth against his neck behind the ear. He knew his smell, he’d been covered in his sweat, he’d had his face pressed into every crevice of his body, he had touched him with utter freedom in public but now, here, he realized that there were places where he had not been. He wanted to find all of them.

He felt something hit the bed next to him and then the mattress dipped as Zack dove back into bed. The room had two beds and one bed would be too small for three adult men, let alone one as long-limbed as Zack, who sat against the headboard and stretched his legs out on either side of them.

Finn suddenly flipped them both over and laid on top of him, pressing their cocks against each other. He grabbed what Zack had thrown, a small bottle, holding it up directly in front of him. “You are going to fuck me, Seth Rollins,” he intoned.

The use of that name made this more real-- this was _them,_ he and the man he had become such good friends with, the one he woke up in a room with almost every morning, the one he’s been harboring a crush on which he had tried not to acknowledge to himself, but this was also the _public_ them. This was also the names _Rollins_ and _Bálor_ printed on the backs of thousands of strangers and projected larger than life. It was _all_ of them, right here. Colby may not know exactly what to do here, but _Seth Rollins_ would.

He grabbed Finn by the waist and flipped him back around. “Easier this way?”

“Please,” Finn breathed, “More than ready,” as he positioned himself on his hands and knees in front of Seth.

He grabbed the bottle of lube to slick himself up. “Be generous,” Zack advised. Seth lined himself up as Zack added, “Go slow.”

He obeyed, not wanting to hurt Finn but realized that yes, Finn was ready, and he slid in smoothly. _He was inside Finn. Oh my god._ The completely nonsensical thought passed through his head that this was easy because he was the second man inside him tonight, _and wasn’t that gay,_ and had to bite his lip to keep from smiling at the ridiculousness of that thought; and then he was trying not to grin from the simple realization that _he has his dick inside his friend’s ass right now... oh my god oh my god, I’m fucking Fergal._ And... _just look at him._ He was beautiful. His shape was almost an hourglass, with his small waist and then round perfect ass; _he was perfect, oh my god._ He felt as if his brain were on fire.

“Cole!” Finn cut in, _“Shut up and move.”_

He did.


	4. Chapter 4

_Yes. Yes. Good. Perfect. Yes. Perfect. Yes. Good._

Should he feel strange about the fact that there was a guy he’d just met on the bed with them with his dick in his hand. Maybe. He didn’t care. Having an audience for this wasn’t really his thing but he did. not. care. As far as he was concerned, at this moment, that man could do no wrong. Finn had dropped to his elbows and had his face on Zack’s thigh. He looked like an angel. He was an angel. _Angels. What the fuck._ Fuck. Yes. Good. Yes. They were all angels. Perfect. Everything was perfect. _Perfect._ He moved. They moved. In sync. They were in. such. perfect. sync.  


Zack had leaned his head back against the wall. Seth couldn’t tell where he was looking. Finn was breathing in high-pitched rhythmic bursts. Seth felt delirious.  


Just as in other areas of their life ( _what other areas, this was his whole life now,_ his brain stupidly added) they were able to communicate what they were about to do wordlessly. He just knew, from the slightest twist of the head, a leg being raised, a muscle flexed, and he _knew._ It had never occurred to him that this particular skill would be useful for sex but then, it had never occurred to him to have sex with someone he’d wrestled. Well. Actually. Yes. It had. 

_Shut up. That doesn’t matter anymore.  
Oh. Right. Yes. Good. _

“Umnf,” Finn breathed. Finn wanted to steer. He knew that. He didn’t know how but he knew Finn meant _my turn._  


He let Finn guide him backwards, slowly, their bodies still connected, so that he rested on his own heels, almost in a sitting position. Finn sank backwards onto his lap then he slowly raised up again. Finn reached out, seeking balance. Zack extended an arm. They clasped hands, arms straight out, Finn pushing against him for leverage so he could fuck himself on Seth’s lap.  


Suddenly it was Finn’s show, if it hadn’t been already. His pace, his momentum; Seth was trying to match it and support him, Zack was keeping him upright.  


Out of words.  


This was the only thing in the universe that mattered.  


_This. Yes. Finn. Perfect. This. Is. Everything._  


Finn suddenly sank back and stayed there, seated on Seth’s lap. He jerked Zack’s hand forward, bringing him against him into a messy aggressive kiss. Finn grabbed Zack’s cock as they kissed.  


Seth grabbed Finn’s hips tightly and pressed his chest flush against his back. He bit gently into Finn’s neck muscle; not a kiss, and not anything that’d leave a mark, he just needed to be a part of this. To communicate the same thing.  


Finn reached his other arm back and grabbed at the back of Seth’s head. It was awkward but he felt glad to be included like that. Finn broke off the kiss and lolled his head to the side, clearly pleased about Seth’s mouth on his neck.  


_God._  


Seth arched his back a bit so that he could push back up into Finn.  


Finn groaned. A ragged, soft messy sound that was the most beautiful sound Seth had ever heard.  


“Uhm-hm,” was an articulate as Finn seemed capable of being, but he knew what he meant.  


Finn toppled forward, pushing Zack backwards in a heap under him.  


“Him,” Zack panted, “him first.” Seth appreciated the instruction. He loved that his order was to make Finn happy.  


Finn was sprawled facedown across Zack’s legs, which meant that he himself was nearly on top of Zack. Finn was on his elbows with his cock wedged between his own body and Zack’s leg. Seth moved, fast, and kept going until Finn suddenly came with a breathy sort of yelp, as if he’d gotten the air knocked out of him. “Go,” he breathed. He didn’t hold back. He grasped onto Finn’s hips hard, keeping him still, and kept thrusting but even faster, until his brain shorted out and his vision went white, and came harder than he had in ages. He remembered to pull out at the last second and leaned over Finn as he came, with his forehead pressed into his back.  


It felt like one of the best moments of his life.  


They all lay there panting, sweaty and messy for a few moments. Zack had come at some point too. Fortunately they had left those towels littering the floor and bed so they could all quickly clean themselves up without having to move much, and stayed in that sweaty pile catching their breath for a few moments longer. Seth wrapped his arms tightly around Finn’s waist in a tight hug, pressing his face against his back and grinned into his skin. He let his hair cover his face a bit, because he couldn’t stop smiling giddily, and squeezed Finn harder. Without looking up, he extended his arm in Zack’s direction as if to shake his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Zack.”  


He felt his hand grasp his arm, and Finn burst out giggling.  


Zack shifted as a signal to untangle themselves to let him move. Finn was a mess. Hair spiked up stupidly, his skin flushed with red patches, and his eyes barely open as he grinned a huge lazy smile. He was radiant. Zack looked tired and pleased but somehow still composed. He was probably just one of those people who always managed to look together. Seth was sure that he looked like a wreck, but Finn being so disheveled made him feel proud.  


“We’re sleeping in _your_ bed,” announced Finn as he plopped into the center of the other bed. Zack immediately followed and laid on his back on one edge. It was clear they were leaving room for him but it’d be a very, uh, cozy situation. He felt a moment of embarrassment and wondered if he should grab boxers or something before sleeping, but as Finn sleepily kicked the sheet out from under him, causing it to billow out, it just looked too inviting to resist, so he dove in on the other side of Finn.  


He fell asleep nearly instantly.  


– - - - - - - - -  


_Dee dee dee. Dee dee dee._ A gentle chiming noise. _Dee dee dee._ Soft and looping. Then a quiet clatter. Facts in Seth’s brain sluggishly aligned, as he arose from under a huge wave of sleep. That was a phone alarm, but not his or Finn’s. Turned off and set back down. A warm body next to him. He curled into it. They shifted and leaned into him. A half-spoon. He shifted his leg between theirs. Cool skin, a pleasant warmth spreading between them. Nice. The bed dipped. A murmur. Quiet shuffling sounds that suggested a polite quiet, not a sneaky quiet; hushed mundane movements which lulled his brain back into sleep. He started to drift back under… and then his brain snapped to attention. He was spooning _Finn._ His friend who he’d fucked. Along with his friend. Zack was getting dressed. A suitcase zipped closed. Maybe if he didn’t open his eyes he could stop time right here, before he moved away, before he had to deal with the fallout from this. He suddenly became aware of his entire body, not moving an inch, experiencing this sensation of legs entwined, his arm resting on his hip, hand dangling. He smelled good. This was so nice. He wanted to move his arm around him but also relieved that he hadn’t done that in his sleep. He didn’t dare move.  


But then that warm body rolled away slowly, taking the sheet with him. He reached down scrabbling for the other blanket, abandoned down by their feet, for coverage.  


He lifted his head and saw _5:08_ shining up from Zack’s phone on the nightstand, glaringly bright in the dark room. God, no wonder his brain felt like a rock. He was too tired to be worried, too tired to wonder what would happen next, too tired to think about what to say. He looked up and saw Finn wreathed in the bright light streaming out of the bathroom, wrapped in a large white sheet, looking like some kind of ...angel? Ancient Greek god? He just needed a little sprig of leaves around his head. And to be fed grapes. _I should feed him grapes._ He rubbed his eyes to snap himself out of that ridiculous train of thought.  


They were talking closely near the doorway. Zack walked back over to grab his phone off the nightstand and Seth suddenly felt silly still lying there in bed. He wrapped the blanket around him and intercepted Zack before he darted off. “Hey,” his voice not really awake yet. “…I don’t know.”  


Zack looked amused at the non sequitur but just blinked at him sleepily.  


“Er, thanks, I guess? Is that the right thing to say?” Seth rambled on.  


“My pleasure, mate.”  


“But I didn’t interrupt? Are you two... like…?”  


“We’re rarely even on the same continent, so not really. I’m here for some things and was planning on seeing him in a few nights but there was an unexpected layover. I thought a little nap here would be more comfortable than at the airport.” He reached out and gently grabbed the nape of Seth’s neck. “It was a lot more fun,” and winked. “Be seeing you soon, then?”  


Seth nodded. “I owe ya one.” He winced internally as he realized what that implied. He meant a night out since he’d interrupted them and joined in as a third wheel.  


Zack paused and looked at him appraisingly, “I look forward to it,” then grabbed his phone, then his bag and headed out.  


He paused at the door to kiss Finn goodbye, muttered something quietly to him, then after he’d opened the door to leave he darted his head back in and kissed him once more quickly on the forehead, and was gone.  


And then it was just the two of them.  


“More sleep,” Finn yawned. He rustled back over and fell onto the bed in his giant sheet toga, so he crashed back into bed wrapped in his blanket cocoon.  


Laying there, he was now hyper-aware of everything, and unsure whether he could move closer. He was longing to. But then Finn, seemingly fast asleep already, turned toward him and curled his legs up now that he had enough room in bed to do so, pressing his head and legs against Seth. He turned and curled himself around him, resting his chin on Finn’s head. He inhaled the scent of his hair and then drifted off immediately.  


– - - - - - - - -  


This time he woke up at a familiar time to the sound of a familiar alarm, with a familiar person in his bed. Which wasn’t normal but felt… well, familiar. 

Finn sat up, turned off the alarm, stretched and made goofy half-yawning sounds as he did, exactly like he did every morning. They got dressed in the exact same way that they did several times a week, switching between use of the bathroom and shower and sink in their usual patterns. It was comfortable. Alarmingly comfortable. _Is he trying to act like nothing happened? Are we doing that?_ Despite that flash of concern, he felt fucking fantastic. He could talk about it, he could not talk about it, whatever, he was feeling too buoyant to care. Time to go find a coffee shop, just like usual. Have a quiet drink and a quiet walk around the town they were in, just like they did every time they had a morning off together. They didn’t even ask each other about it anymore, it was just assumed. He'd get his usual coffee. He'd take a photo of it, and then one of Finn. As usual. 

Finn was finishing up in the bathroom. Seth popped in to grab a hair tie and as he reached around him, he caught Finn’s eyes in the mirror. Finn held his gaze and then flashed a smile that lit up his entire face. And as usual, Seth could not help but to grin right back.

– - - - - - - - -  



	5. Chapter 5

They’d have the whole day together. They each had an event early the next morning, but his was here and Finn’s was about two hours away where they’d be doing the house show. The whole circus was leaving town today and only he and a few others would be staying behind tonight and catching up afterwards. Everything was just spread out like that in the Midwest. It hit him with a pang that he was disappointed in this schedule. Yesterday he’d thought nothing of it but this morning the idea of a hotel room to himself was less appealing. But on the upside, they had the day to themselves, and having chosen the hotel they did, which was deeper into town from where the rest were staying, meant they weren’t likely to run into anyone.

It was the sort of day where one moment it was overcast and the air was crisp and invigorating, and then the sun would come out and be blindingly bright and you’d feel the heat on your skin. Two extremes at once; the best of both worlds. Finn also seemed to be in an excellent mood. Every time Seth looked him he’d flash him a huge grin. He beamed at the hotel clerk in the lobby as they left. A lady walking on the sidewalk ahead of them had dropped her scarf, and when he called out a polite “Excuse me, I think this is yours” and smiled, she actually blushed. At the moment it was cool and overcast but Finn was radiating enough sunshine for everyone.

As usual Seth was at odds with himself. He didn’t want to do anything to upset this delicate pleasant state and wanted to just glide along through the day on Finn’s mood but on the other hand if he didn’t say something right away he might never. The more time passed the more awkward it’d be. And if he didn’t say something about last night and acted like nothing happened… it might never happen again. What, wait for Zack to show up in a few days and _then_ awkwardly bring it up? He didn’t want to make this weird. He and Finn had become such good friends, and Seth loved how easy it was to be around him. Traveling with him was so comfortable, and they’d settled into such a domestic pattern. He couldn’t risk upsetting that. Plus he’d just had _one of the best nights of his life_ —he’d done something he didn’t think he’d ever have the guts to do, if he was being brutally honest, and he’d been handed that experience on a silver platter. He had butterflies in his stomach. On most days it was nice to be able to enjoy a quiet morning with Finn without needing to make small talk, but today, not acknowledging what happened was driving him crazy. He thought he could be chill about this but no, he _had_ to say something.

 

 

They found a nice looking little coffee shop which was bustling enough to offer privacy in the white noise. They got their usual orders, and as always commented on the swirling pattern in Seth’s drink. He took a photo, carefully cropping out Finn’s mug in the background. There were too many people nearby to get a photo that Finn could post of himself but Seth couldn’t resist taking one anyway, and snapped a quick photo of Finn flashing yet another huge smile, not at the camera but right at him. He secretly enjoyed his role as Finn’s frequent instagram photographer, but this shot was just for him.

He decided to just go for it. Rip the band-aid off.

“Last night…” he said slowly, then smiled when he realized that Finn had frozen, waiting to see where he was going with this, “was a surprise.” He cleared his throat. “Why’d you ask that? Do you do that often? Did I… I mean…?” He had meant to say,  _did you expect me to say yes to that because I definitely didn’t,_ but was afraid how that would sound. “I mean. I’m glad? But.”

Finn relaxed. “Same here,” and giggled. “Nooo. Well, once. It went a bit different.” Seth raised an eyebrow so he continued, “Years ago. We were… caught in the act. Different act,” with another laugh, “but, you know. It was obvious.” His face suddenly became serious. “It was spur of the moment; I didn’t want him runnin’ his mouth and I didn’t wanna run scared. So I asked if he was there to join us. Put it back on him. If he had  _an issue_  with what we were doing? He’d be less likely to say something, you know, ‘cause  _we_ were sayin’  _he_ was _like us_. Or? If he was just gonna have a story for the pub? I gave him his punchline. And th’en th'ey’d maybe th’ink he was full of shite but at least th'ey’d be laughin’ wit' him instead of at us.”

“Did you think I’d… be like that?” He spun his cup nervously.

Suddenly it was like the sun coming out from behind the clouds as Finn beamed at him again. “I didn’t know what to expect. But I had nothin' to lose and everything to gain. And I think it worked out perfectly.”

“It did,” Seth smiled and then to his horror he realized that he couldn’t  _stop_ smiling. He bit his lip to keep from grinning like a fool.

“What’s so funny?” Finn asked playfully.

“That happened in Ireland, didn’t it. Or England.”

“…Yeah, how’d you know?”

“Your accent always gets thicker when you talk about home,” then added, before he could catch himself, “it’s cute.”

This time it was Finn who bit his lip and smiled down into his coffee cup. Seth stretched out his leg and rested his thigh against Finn’s under the table. Finn pressed back in acknowledgement.

 

\-------

 

As they walked around aimlessly, it slowly dawned on them that of all places in the city, it turned out that the neighborhood they were walking around was the gay district. It butted up against the business area where their nice hotel was, but all the nearby cafes and cheaper restaurants were on this several-block stretch of small storefronts housing mostly giftshops and boutiques, tiny neighborhood bars, and salons. At first spotting the occasional pride flag on display somewhere caused Finn to nudge him and point it out with a smile and wink, but as they walked on, the small flags turned into large mounted flags, umbrellas on picnic tables and giant rainbow-striped awnings. It felt like the universe was trolling him. The place looked a bit touristy but on this weekday morning they seemed to be mostly sharing the sidewalks with locals. They walked aimlessly up and down the blocks, occasionally ducking into stores just to poke around. They’d pick up things and pose to each other with them, or make jokes, or point out the things they liked or which reminded them of a story.

 

One store they went in looked like a crunchy hippie sort of gift shop that turned out to be much bigger on the inside than it’d looked. It opened to a higher ceilinged space with hanging plants. Incense was burning, and there was an ancient-looking shaggy dog curled in a dog bed near a window. Seth crouched down and held his hand out for the dog to smell but it just stared at him nonplussed.

“Aww, I don’t think he likes me.”

“Maybe he just needs to get to know you,” Finn answered.

“Is that how it was with you?” he meant it jokingly but as he said it he realized it was a more vulnerable question than he intended. He’d been fascinated by Finn immediately upon meeting him and had always tried to hide it and play it cool.

“No, but then, I’m not a dog.” He reached down and absent-mindedly played with Seth’s hair, which was flipped up and out of the way into a sort of bun, as if Finn was consoling him by petting _him_ instead.

 

The store was filled with rows and rows of tiny trays of different beads. Thousands, and colorful strands roped in massive coils against the walls. The little compartments were fun to run their fingers through and touch but they had no use or real interest in any of it until something caught Seth’s attention. A large blue eye painted on a heavy glass bead. He held it up to look at it. The clerk, an older hippie-ish woman brushed past, calling out cheerfully, “It’s an evil eye! That one's an antique. Protects against bad luck and injury!”

Finn raised his eyebrows playfully, snatching it out of his hand, “ _Injury?_ We’ll take it!” 

He followed the woman to the counter so Seth decided to give the dog another chance, cooing sweetly in hopes he'd let him pet him. "Hey buddy, are you a sleepy old man?" The dog snuffed and lowered his head on his paws, letting Seth pet his head gently.

Finn came back from the counter a few minutes later holding something up proudly. “For you.”

The woman had slipped the bead onto a black leather strip and knotted it tightly on the ends so that it could be attached to keys or something. It had a comfortable weight in his hands. He stared a moment. “It’s just like your eye…” Seth mumbled.

Finn looked at him quizzically. He reached over and traced a large circle on Finn’s back. “ _That_ one. Except it’s blue. Like yours. So maybe this one _is_ lucky.”

He regretted it immediately. Too sappy. Running his mouth before his brain knew what was happening. His stomach flipped nervously.

Finn didn’t say anything. His expression was hard to read but it felt like he was staring straight into him with the full power of those blue eyes. Without looking away he reached out his hand and grasped Seth’s, squeezing gently.

 

\------

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

The day was filled with more small touches. Little excuses to get into each other’s space; anything that didn’t look like flirting, either to each other or to strangers. They’d get each other’s attention by touching them lightly on the arm even when it wasn’t strictly necessary, or pulling them toward something they wanted the other to see by linking arms momentarily to guide them over, or little pokes on the sides of their waist when something was funny, or brushing up against each other. They were magnets being drawn together.

 

Finn had a few hours in the early afternoon before he’d have to head back to the hotel to gather his things and catch his ride. In the past they may have killed short periods of time in their room, and while it was easy to just each lay on their separate bed, napping or looking at their phone, each in their comfortable solitary silences, today the thought of going back to their room meant the end of this oddly special day. The fact that neither of them had mentioned the obvious—that they hadn’t tried to find a gym but were instead both content to wander aimlessly—suggested to Seth that Finn was also feeling the same way. Heading to local gyms was always fun but it also often involved posing for photos with people. It seemed like every town had a friend-of-a-friend’s gym to hit up and he usually loved the whole experience but he didn’t want to share this day with anyone else. This energy was too tenuous and rarified to let go of. Reality wasn’t welcome back yet.

They wandered door to door and skipped the obvious bars and salons but otherwise weren’t choosy. If it was a women’s boutique they’d pose for each other with items, making jokes and doing impersonations of people they knew. They’d see something that reminded them of a story or reference from a movie. Everything was funny. It was a bubble containing only them.

They went into the next store on the street, one of the older businesses in the partially gentrified neighborhood. The storefront had a crisp coat of paint and large pots of flowers outside, and as they stepped inside the floor creaked loudly. While many of the stores they’d been in had been gutted and felt no different from being in a mall, in here you could actually still see the bones of the old building; that it was once an old-fashioned house with a front room opening into a middle room, now modified into a store with bookshelves everywhere.

 _“In other news today_ …,” a small speaker burbled on the counter near the store worker, who was probably the owner by the looks of him. The lack of any other speakers in the place made it quiet and a bit awkward and they were suddenly overly aware of their steps on the old floor.

Their private bubble popped as Seth suddenly became very self-aware. They had been being careful and had their usual radar up against being recognized but for the first time today he felt nervous. A quick look around signaled that this was definitely a _gay_ bookstore. It was like any other small little independent place but the covers all were mocking his sudden discomfort. The floor creaked underfoot _. “Today Congress considered a move to…”_ the radio continued quietly.

He felt a bit trapped. It didn’t matter; he was fine and he knew that, but still felt it. He and Finn locked eyes for a moment and Finn, apparently reading all this on his face just smirked at him. _Alright, then._ He knew what he did last night and he wouldn’t have changed it for the world, and he wasn’t going to let some _books_ scare him off.

They milled around and Finn found his way into the back part of the store to some low shelves of large art books. Seth paused a moment to let the image sear into his head: the bright sunlight reflecting off his hair and making it look so shiny and light while his eyes were downcast and engrossed in the book, making his eyes seem unusually dark. He was just so effortlessly… well…  _pretty_. Dramatic, his brain corrected.

Seth came up behind him and propped his chin on his shoulder. Finn leaned back into him slightly to acknowledge his presence. He seemed genuinely interested in the large art book. Seth inhaled. _Flip._ Finn smelled good. He wanted to bury his face into his neck. His hand went to Finn’s waist. Lightly. _Flip._ Very lightly. It was so easy to stand here like this. Finn paused on a page showing black and white line drawings of little stick figures in a box.

Seth lowered his head and pressed his mouth into Finn’s shoulder, stifling a smile. “That looks like you,” he murmured into Finn’s shoulder.

“...What?”

“That? It looks like your drawings. That you showed me that time.”

Finn stilled. Then, “...You remember those?”

“I liked them.”

Then, “…I think I see what you mean.” He spun around, turning exactly in place. Seth found his hand right back on Finn’s waist but now their chests were pressed against each other, with Finn pinned between him and the bookshelf behind him. His other hand also went to his waist and he squeezed gently. Finn’s face was right there. His lips were so pink and so full and parted and _right there_. Finn raised his chin and his eyes were lowered. Dramatic. _No,_ _pretty._ He was so pretty.

 

Soft.

 

Wait, who had done that. Had he lowered his head to kiss Finn? He had. Finn’s lips were soft and full and felt _right_ on his. Mustache and beards just tangled together, he didn’t have to worry about scratching up the other’s face. They melded, same on same, harsh in the same places and soft in the same places.

His knees softened slightly to lower down to Finn’s height but then he felt Finn’s tongue and he again felt swept up as Finn kissed him deeply. He wanted to lower his legs and fall back and back and back. Throw his hair back like one of the ladies on those cheesy romance novels his mom had sometimes read, and then felt silly for such an image popping into his head. Yet. Yet that _was_ how it felt and he loved it. He tightened his hold on Finn’s waist and wrapped his arms around him and kissed back and

SSSSS **SSSSSSKKKKKK** KKRRRRRRTTTTTTTTKKKKKKK ** _KKTCH_**

 

Seth jumped back in a panic. Walk away quickly. Act Normal.

The store owner was sealing up a box with packing tape and was taking the opportunity to send a message… the message being, _hey boys, knock it off_. Seth realized he’d walked all the way into the front section of the store and looked back at Finn with what must have been a deer-caught-in-headlights sort of look, but Finn didn’t give him the teasing smile he expected. He was blushing. His eyes were soft and Seth couldn’t identify the look on his face but he did interpret that everything was okay. More than good. Great, actually.

Act normal. Okay. There’s nothing wrong.

 _“…Next up is World Café…”_ the radio played, and a song began. He gathered himself. A slight guilt hit him as he considered the store owner at the counter nearby. He should buy something. Anything. This was like when some overly enthusiastic fan overstays their welcome at a musician’s or wrestler’s merch table. That’s the protocol. You buy something and get out. That’s better than any apology.

A glance at Finn showed that his version of playing it cool was to continue to flip through art books. Seth didn’t need books though. He had to travel light but wasn’t very good at it; he was notorious for over-packing and carting around every bit of gear, every computer game, everything he could ever possibly want based on whatever mood he might find himself in. He could fill a suitcase with just black t-shirts alone if he wasn’t careful. He can’t cart around a huge art book, and while he was very curious about some of the more _instructional_ books he saw (…wait, they actually make an “anal sex for dummies” book?!) he definitely did not need someone in line behind him at the airport seeing those titles in his bag... or even worse, someone he worked with. He wandered away from the bookshelves towards the front counter where there were displays of small not-book things. Bookmarks, buttons, bumper stickers, magnets, keychains. Lots of rainbows. He didn’t need any of this stuff.

Oh but there’s something. On the counter right by where the guy was working was a small rack with metal pins hanging on little cardboard squares. A big wave. That “Scream” painting he’d seen before. A Mona Lisa. He held his breath when he saw it— ** _THAT_**. It was a small black and white square showing two little stick figures holding up a red heart. It looked like the art that Finn had just been looking at. _Before they kissed_ , he thought as he stifled a smile.

“This,” his voice rasped awkwardly as he picked it off the rack and placed it defiantly on the counter. “This is all.” Finn’s eyes shot up when he realized he was buying something and put the book down.

 

 

“So?” Finn asked the moment they’d stepped out on the sidewalk.

Seth held out the pin lightly in his fist signaling that he was going to drop it into Finn’s hand. He reached out and Seth took the opportunity to let his fingers graze, and then momentarily grab, Finn’s palm as he carefully dropped the pin into his hand.

Finn looked down at it and suddenly went poker-faced. He just stared down at it and didn’t look at Seth.

Seth felt his insides flip nervously. This was too much. This was too sappy _. It is two men holding a heart, what was he thinking_. Oh my god, he’d fucked this up.

Finn was unreadable. The earlier playfulness had drained out and he looked intensely serious.

“…If, uh.”

Finn interrupted his rambling, still not looking at him. “We need to get back to the hotel. Right. _Now._ ”

Seth wanted to explain himself, ask what was happening, anything, but all he could manage was a croaky “…why?”

“Because,” Finn burst out in a low rush of words, “I need to kiss you right now and I can’t do it on the street.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sure you guessed it, but the art on the pin is this from Keith Haring: https://p1.liveauctioneers.com/1217/51743/24723276_1_x.jpg?version=1&width=512&format=pjpg&auto=webp&quality=50
> 
> Thanks for hanging in there while they were in such odd milieus; this was based very loosely on an old city I used to live in and I had fun fictionalizing it (where yes, WWE would perform a few miles down the main drag from this neighborhood.)


	7. Chapter 7

They skipped the rest of the circle they were making through town and crossed streets to get back to the hotel via the quickest route possible. This time they walked with at least a foot or two of space between them. No more trying to crowd into each other’s space; they were now self-aware about how much they wanted to be close and thus overcompensated by keeping their distance in public.

The crowds on the sidewalk got heavier as people started to leave work for the day. They waited at a crosswalk surrounded by people in suits when Seth blurted out, “So… can we do that again?” He risked a look at Finn who locked eyes with him then raised both his eyebrows.

A beat as Finn caught up to his meaning. “…Last night?”

Seth gave a small curt nod.

“…Specifically or generally?”

“Either. Both.” An awkward cough.

The light changed and they walked briskly through the intersection with the small crowd. “ _Specifically_ …” Finn started, “ _yes_ , but not on a night before I wrestle and maybe not the night after. Depending on how hard the match went.”

Seth felt his face go warm as he realized what exactly Finn was saying ( _stop blushing dumbass, you asked_ , his brain chided) and then felt mortified that he might be blushing which only made him feel more embarrassed. This was not the sort of conversation he’d ever have expected to be having with Finn, let alone in the middle of a crosswalk in the heat of the late afternoon sun surrounded by boring office workers.

“But _generally_ ,” Finn continued, “I assume you have …ideas?”

“Oh, I’ll come up with something.”

He didn’t even know exactly what he meant in that moment because he was trying so hard to not let his mind wander in that direction but he was certain he would indeed come up with some very good, very specific things. The phrase “don’t let your mouth write a check that your ass can’t cash” was always half-true for Seth. His mouth frequently got ahead of him but he was always determined to meet the various bizarre challenges he’d inadvertently set for himself.

 

They continued to not look at each other and walked as fast as they could back to the hotel.

 

Long fast strides though the lobby, awkward impatience as they waited out the interminable eternity for the elevator to finally open, and then the split second that the doors closed Finn was on him.

 

 

 

_Ding._

They pried themselves apart and refrained from sprinting down the hall to their room. Fumble with the keycard. Not happening fast enough. Open. In. Finn slammed the door shut and shoved him against it. The need to kiss Finn was urgent. The only thing that mattered.

Finn eventually grabbed him by the waist and walked them backwards to the now-made bed and fell back on it, pulling Seth down with him. He landed hard on top of Finn. Not all that hard, really, but he realized that he didn’t need to be as gentle as he did otherwise. With women, that is. “Careful” meant something different here. He wasn’t a bull in a china shop anymore. He knew how to be _careful_ with Finn. Careful. _Careful._ The word tumbled through his head as it took on other meanings. Careful. Take care of. Careful. Finn’s limits, requirements, were akin to his. He didn’t have to _try to_ be careful, he just _was_ because he wanted to be, not because he had to. Careful, he didn’t have to hold anything back, careful, he’d take care to give Finn anything he’d ever possibly want. Take care of. Be gentle, not soft.

Why was just kissing someone so intense. So good. It was _just kissing_ but kissing Finn was not “just” kissing.

He had wondered about men before, obviously, but it’d been easy to write off as an idle thought. A thing he could live without. What was the difference in the end, anyway. God he’d been so wrong.

 

_Dee deeeee deeeee dee dee. Dee deeeee deeeee dee dee._ And again. _Dee deeeee deeeee dee dee._

Finn raised his face up and rubbed his nose against his.

“Yeah,” Seth rasped out in a half-whisper.

“Fuck.”

“I know.”

Finn pried himself away and gathered up his bags by the door. They didn’t speak on the walk down the hall. Or the elevator. What was there to say. Finn was gripping his suitcase handle tight. Seth placed his hand on top of his and he heard Finn exhale, then he turned and gave a small shy smile up at Seth. He leaned sideways into Finn, playfully bit at his earlobe and quietly laughed against his ear. A tension that he didn’t know was there suddenly released.

 

 

….

 

 

They stopped at the hotel’s front desk so Finn could turn in his key. The guy working was a big typical Midwestern dude wearing a lanyard of the local college’s football team. Tall and clean-cut. As soon as Finn opened his mouth a hipster-looking girl with heavy black glasses spun around and beamed at them.  _Ah, yes. The accent. Everyone in the Midwest is a sucker for that accent._

“Excuse me, hi. I’m just checking out.”

“I’ll,” Seth cleared his throat, “I’ll still be here alone though. Tonight.” He winced internally. That sounded pathetic. He just _knew_ that Finn was looking at him with those soft sad eyes of his and he refused to turn his head.

The girl’s eyes quickly shot between them with an appraising look. “Of course. No problem, then.”

“ _Love_ your nails, by the way,” Finn interjected. She flipped her hands spraying out her pastel blue manicured nails and beamed at Finn.

“Thank _you_.” she trilled.

Her response made her coworker suddenly pay attention and he looked at him and Finn quizzically. “Wait… are you famous?”

“Uh—“

“Were you in  _Harry Potter_?”

“Yes,” Seth cut in, “He played the demon.” He grabbed Finn by the elbow and spun them around as Finn giggled.

 

“…Wait, what demon?” they heard the guy asking his coworker behind them.

“Shut up, Chad.”

“ _Brad_.”

“If you say so.”

 

Finn’s phone chimed as he got the message that his car was here. Seth quickly looked around and realized that the lobby was empty except for the two desk workers and that the driver wouldn’t be able to see through the glass windows in the afternoon sun. He leaned down and quickly kissed Finn. “I’ll see you tomorrow, I guess.”

“Tomorrow.” Then kissed him again quickly and grabbed his suitcases before they were tempted to prolong their goodbye any further.

Finn looked back at him one last time as he went through the door, and Seth waited until the car pulled away before he went back up to their room.

 _Their_ room, he realized he’d thought. _Fuck. Fuck. Fuck._ He had it bad.

 

 

As much as he’d always liked rooming with Finn he’d still always appreciated a night alone. You got so little privacy in this business. Now he didn’t want it. Finn would be around other people and he didn’t want to act like a sappy fool and text him endlessly. He needed distractions. He considered going out to a local gym or getting dinner somewhere nearby but he was in no mood to be around other people. He’d have something delivered and use the small hotel gym. It was pretty basic but it’d do. Every song in his earbuds seemed overly poignant. _Emo_ , he laughed to himself.

 

Later that night as he continued to not text Finn (he was definitely not texting Finn _, stop thinking about texting Finn_ ), he opened his laptop instead. Time to do some private _research_. He let himself veer into websites and categories that he usually (…usually) abstained from. Why be shy about it now. He’d _done_ this and was eager to do it again. He hated not knowing what to do. Now it was time to watch and learn.

It was very good research. He enjoyed the process.

 

 

Around midnight his resolve broke. It was probably safe to text Finn now. He kept deleting. Too sappy. Too flirty. What if someone saw his message flash across Finn’s phone. They’d been so wrapped up in their own little world today that he’d forgotten to even ask about who Finn was staying with. He considered the heart emoji… no, that’s too much. Maybe the heart but black. No that’s dumb. He settled on just one emoji of a sweet small smile simply because it mirrored the one on his own face, and then one word.

_Tomorrow_

_Tomorrow_ , Finn immediately texted back. A pause, then three dots as Finn was typing, then they went away as he’d deleted whatever he’d written, and then, one red heart.

 

 

….

 

 

The next morning flew by in a blur. He had to do a promotional thing for the city’s soccer team. Straightforward. He just had to get some video of him kicking a ball around with others. _Finn likes soccer, why couldn’t he be here for this_ , he silently complained. It was himself and a few others who were from this general area. He picked up that he was apparently chosen because he was more well-known than they were and he specifically was _not_ European, as they were trying to shed the image of soccer not being an “American” thing. It went by fast. The upside of it was that because the others were local they were given an extra day to see their families which meant that he was able to travel alone to the next city. Thank god. He didn’t want to make small talk. He was afraid he’d give himself away by just talking about Finn constantly.

 

 

Seth looked down to change the song on his phone and noticed that he’d gotten a ton of texts but he didn’t look at them. Driving was a perfectly good excuse to ignore whatever bit of work-related bullshit that probably meant. He didn’t want to think too much about the real world yet, he just wanted to get to the hotel and see Finn again. It was a relief that it was just a house show tonight.

Finally he arrived. He loaded up his bags and as he bumped the suitcase wheels along through the parking lot he opened his phone to text Finn that he’d arrived and was heading in, as he usually did. It dawned on him that just two nights ago when he’d done the same thing he’d had no idea of the scene that was about to greet him in that hotel room. He smiled to himself and opened the app and realized that all those unread messages were from Finn. Wait, no… Finn had put him and Zack both into a group chat and it was all Finn and Zack texting back and forth. Seth scrolled through quickly… _Ah_. _Got it_. Zack had gotten a chance to make an appearance at something in New York City, some podcast-related event and then a surprise appearance at some other show and someone was willing to cover the cost of his change in flights plus pay him… scroll scroll scroll… basically he was milking all he could from this trip to the US, fair enough, and, okay, he was leaving right after his big planned match nearby and eventually getting an international flight out of New York, and… Seth kept skimming through… the gist seemed to be that this meant that he wouldn’t be seeing them tonight as he and Finn had originally planned.

A strange mix of disappointment and relief hit him. _Finn and Zack_ … it wasn’t the sort of experience he’d get often and he didn’t like missing an opportunity to do something so out of the ordinary, and he’d looked forward to redeeming himself. He was still a bit embarrassed at how hesitant he’d been. He hated looking like he didn’t know what he was doing. Then a greedy little corner of his heart smiled. He’d get Finn all to himself. Just the two of them. With all of the catching up on texts and then his excitement to see Finn he forgot to actually text him.

 

He swiped his key to open the door, dropped his bags and locked it behind him.

“Hello?!” he heard from the bathroom. The shower was running. “Seth? That you?”

“It’s me!”

“Get in here!”

He went into the humid bathroom. “Sorry, I forgot to tell you I was here.”

“I said _get in here_ , didn’t I.”

“It’s going to make my hair all frizzy,” he mock-complained.

“And you’re just going to dump water on it anyway... your gimmick is _Seth Rollins, Fresh From the Shower_ ,” Finn teased. 

"Fine, then yours is _Finn Balor, Now The Audience Needs a Cold Shower_."

"Well come see how cold this one isn’t," Finn retorted, but Seth was already half-undressed.

 

 

 

~end~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I intend to add a short epilogue soon with a few follow-up scenes (which feature some some guest appearances.) It will be linked to this fic. 
> 
> Thanks to chickenwingsuplex for inspiring the premise and giving the final push of encouragement to hit publish, and to devittprinces for the reassurance and cheerleading that caused a one-shot to turn into a multi-chapter.
> 
> This is the first time I’ve ever written fic plus I barely edited this, so thank you for reading to the end. <3


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